Notes and Queries, Number 182, April 23, 1853

SATIRICAL PLAYING CARDS

I have lately been much interested in a pack of cards, complete (fifty-two) in their number and suits, engraved in the time of the Commonwealth at the Hague, and representing the chief personages and the principal events of that period. I have been able, by reference to historical authorities, and, in particular, to the Ballads and Broadsides in the British Museum, forming the collection presented to the nation by George III., to explain the whole pack, with the exception of two. These are "Parry, Father and Sonne," and "Simonias slandering the High Priest, to get his Place." The former simply represents two figures, without any thing to offer a clue to any event; the latter gives the representation of six Puritans, forming an assembly, who are being addressed by one of the body. I cannot find any notice of Simonias, or to whom such a name has been applied, in any of the Commonwealth tracts with which I am acquainted. Probably some of your readers can help me in this matter. Of these cards I can find no notice: they are not mentioned by Singer, and appear to have escaped the indefatigable research of Mr. Chatto. They were purchased at the Hague, more than thirty years since, for thirty-three guineas, and are exceedingly curious: indeed they form a bundle of Commonwealth tracts. All the principal persons of the time figure in some characteristic representation, and the private scandal is also recognised in them. Thus, Oliver is to be found under a strong conflict with Lady Lambert; Sir Harry Mildmay solicits a citizen's wife, for which his own corrects him; and he is also being beaten by a footboy,—which event is alluded to in Butler's Posthumous Works. General Lambert, of whom your pages have given some interesting information, is represented as "The Knight of the Golden Tulip," evidently in reference to his withdrawal with a pension to Holland, where he is known to have ardently cultivated flowers, and to have drawn them in a very superior manner. I hope this communication may enable me to complete my account of these cards, the explanation of which may probably throw light upon some of the stirring events of that extraordinary period of our history.

    T. J. Pettigrew.

Saville Row.

MOVABLE METAL TYPES ANNO 1435

A vellum MS. has lately come into my possession, containing the Service for the Dead, Prayers, &c., with the tones for chanting, &c., in Latin, written for a German Order, apparently about the year 1430.

This tome, which is in small 4to., is very remarkable and valuable on account of the binding. This is red leather, stamped with double lines forming lozenges, and powdered with additional stamps, Or, a lion, a fleur-de-lys, an eagle, and a star. The whole is on the plain leather, without any gilding.

But in addition hereto, a full inscription runs along each back, at top and bottom and each side, stamped with movable metal types applied by hand, without gold, as is done by the bookbinder to this day in blind stamping.

The legend on the first back is as follows:

At top.—"DIEZ . PUCHLEI

Continued to the right.—IST . S. . MARGRETEN .

At the bottom.—SCHUEST . ABT . ZU .

Continued to the left.—S. . KATHEREI . ZU . MUR ."

That is,—

"Diez puchlein ist schwester Margreten, sehuest abtisse zu Sankt Katherein zu Mur."

The legend on the last back is,—

At top.—"NACH . CRIST .

Continued to the right.—GEPURT . MCCCCXXXV .

At bottom.—UVART . GEPUN

Continued to the left.—DE . DIEZ . PUCH … K."

That is,—

"Nach Crist gepurt MCCCCXXXV uvart gepunden diez puch … k."

The whole inscription will therefore be, in English,—

THIS BOOKLET
IS SISTER MARGARET'S,
SISTER-ABBESS AT
SAINT CATHERINE'S AT MUR.

AFTER CHRIST'S
BIRTH, 1435,
WAS BOUN-
DEN THIS BOOK … K.

A letter or two is illegible, from the injury made by the clasp, before the last K. Both the clasps are torn away, perhaps from their having been of some precious metal. Has this K anything to do with Köster?

Can any particulars be given of the abbess, monastery, and town mentioned?

Is any other specimen of movable metal types known of so early a date?

    George Stephens.

Copenhagen.

PORTRAITS AT BRICKWALL HOUSE

Among the pictures at Brickwall House, Northiam, Sussex, are the following portraits by artists whose names are not mentioned either in Bryan, or Pilkington, or Horace Walpole's notices of painters. I shall be thankful for any information respecting them.

1. A full-length portrait in oils (small size) on canvas (29 inches by 24) of a gentleman seated, dressed in a handsome loose gown, red slippers, and on his head a handsome, but very peculiar velvet cap; on the ground, near him, a squirrel; and on a table by his side, a ground plan of some fortification. "John Sommer pinxit, 1700."

N. B.—The late Capt. Marryatt, and subsequently another gentleman, guessed it to be a portrait of Wortley Montague from the peculiar dress; but the fortification would seem to indicate a military personage. The picture is well painted.

2. A half-length portrait in oils (small size) on canvas (20-1/2 inches by 17), of an old lady seated; a landscape in the background. A highly finished and excellent picture; the lace in her cap is most elaborate. "T. Vander Wilt, 1701."

N. B.—I conclude this is the artist's name, though possibly it may be the subject's.

3. A pair of portraits (Kit Kat size), of John Knight of Slapton, Northamptonshire, aged seventy-two; and Catherine his wife, aged thirty-seven. "Lucas Whittonus pinxit, 1736."

N. B.—Inferior portraits by some provincial artist. I conclude Lucas is the surname, and Whittonus indicates his locality; if so, what place?

Whilst on this subject, I would add another Query respecting a picture in this house: a very highly finished portrait (small size) by Terburgh, of a gentleman standing, in black gown, long brown wig, and a book on a table by him. "Andries de Græff. Obiit lxxiii., MDCLXXIIII."

Can you tell me anything about this old gentleman?

    T. F.

Minor Queries

Christian Names.—Can any of your correspondents inform me when it became a common practice to have more than one Christian name? Lord Coke says (Co. Litt. 3 a):

"And regularly it is requisite that the purchaser be named by the name of baptism and his surname, and that special heed be taken to the name of baptism; for that a man cannot have two names of baptism as he may have divers surnames."

And further on he says:

"If a man be baptized by the name of Thomas, and after, at his confirmation by the bishop, he is named John, he may purchase by the name of his confirmation.... And this doth agree with our ancient books, where it is holden that a man may have divers names at divers times, but not divers Christian names."

It appears, then, that during the first half of the seventeenth century a man could not have two Christian names.